Meditation found to be good for brain

Jun 30 2010

Meditation found to be good for brain

Youngey Mingyur Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist lama who travels the world to teach people the art of meditation, according to the Huffington Post. He has been called the happiest man in the world and tries to convince everyone to at least try to meditate.

More recently, Rinpoche participated in fMRI tests at Wisconsin University, the news source reports. These tests studied the effects of meditation on the monk's brain and found that it is a form of neuroplasticity, which means that Rinpoche's brain actually changed during meditation, an effect that lasted after the experiments.

"Thirteen years years ago, they said it was impossible to change the brain after a certain point," Rinpoche told the news provider. He also stated that meditation benefits the immune system, blood circulation and mood.

Rinpoche told the Huffington Post that the key to the exercise was being both relaxed and aware. That means creating an environment that's calm, but not sleepy.

Soft sheer shades can have this effect with their unique ability to filter light. They can be tilted to allow a soft glow into the room that is very conducive to relaxation, but not to a darkness that may end up making you fall asleep.